Pistons Sign Ron Harper Jr., Tolu Smith To Two-Way Deals
JANUARY 6, 4:03pm: The Pistons have officially signed Smith and Harper and placed Williams and Swider on waivers, the team confirmed in a press release (Twitter link).
JANUARY 5, 8:30pm: The Pistons are also signing Tolu Smith to a two-way deal, according to Jake Fischer (Twitter link).
Smith, a 6’11” rookie forward, was waived by Detroit in training camp and has been playing for the G League’s Motor City Cruise. He’s averaging 20.2 points and 14.8 rebounds in four regular season NBAGL games and also made five appearances with the Cruise in the G League Showcase Cup.
Smith spent his freshman season at Western Kentucky before transferring and playing the final four years of his collegiate career at Mississippi State. He went undrafted in 2024 and made three preseason appearances with Detroit.
To make room for Harper and Smith, the Pistons are waiving Alondes Williams and Cole Swider, according to Fischer.
Detroit signed Williams to a two-way deal just before the start of the season after he was cut loose by the Clippers. Similarly, the Pistons signed Swider after he was waived during the latter stages of training camp by the Pacers.
JANUARY 5, 7:17pm: The Pistons have agreed to a two-way deal with Ron Harper Jr., ESPN’s Tim Bontemps tweets.
Harper was waived in training camp by the Celtics and has been playing for the Maine Celtics in the G League. He has averaged 22.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in four regular season G League games and also played 11 games in the NBAGL’s Tip-Off Tournament.
Harper went undrafted out of Rutgers in 2022 and signed to a two-way deal shortly after the draft by the Raptors. He only appeared in six games in the G League last season. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury after playing in just one NBA game in ’23/24 and was waived by the Raptors in December of last year.
Detroit has all of its two-way spots filled, so it will have to make a corresponding move to bring in Harper.
With Jaden Ivey sidelined indefinitely with a fractured fibula, Harper will give Detroit more depth at the guard spots.
Jimmy Butler Rumors: Grizzlies, Bucks, Suns, Beal, Pistons
The Grizzlies and Bucks are among the teams having ongoing discussions about the possibility of a Jimmy Butler trade, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link).
Gambadoro notes that the Heat are exploring their options and weighing whether it makes more sense to trade Butler now or in the offseason via sign-and-trade (or possibly opt-in and trade).
Memphis has been a popular subject of speculation as a Butler destination in recent days, since the Grizzlies have a deep roster, all of their own draft picks, and multiple sizable contracts that are relatively team-friendly. They’re also known to be in the market for a defensive-minded wing, having been linked to Dorian Finney-Smith (before he was traded to the Lakers) and Cameron Johnson.
In a subscriber-only article, Chris Herrington of The Daily Memphian explores what a Grizzlies trade for Butler might look like, though he cautions that he’s skeptical about the idea and refers to it as unlikely.
It would be more difficult for Milwaukee to make a move for Butler, since the Bucks are operating about $6.5MM over the second apron and don’t have a single player whose salary matches or exceeds Butler’s $48.8MM cap hit. The Bucks would only be permitted to aggregate salaries in a trade if they move below the second apron upon the conclusion of the transaction and leave themselves with enough room below the second apron to eventually get back to the required minimum of 14 players.
Based on my back-of-the-napkin math, that would likely mean starting with a package of Khris Middleton and MarJon Beauchamp and adding either Brook Lopez or – more likely – both Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton. A third-team facilitator would also be necessary, since the Heat can’t take back more salary than they send out. And all three teams would have to agree on draft-pick compensation.
Even if the Bucks could figure it out, it would mean giving up multiple key rotation players in exchange for one, further depleting their depth.
Here’s more on Butler:
- Bradley Beal‘s no-trade clause “looms large” in the Suns‘ pursuit of Butler, according to Gambadoro (Twitter link), who says he’s heard the veteran guard would approve a deal to the Heat, Nuggets, or Los Angeles (presumably either the Lakers or Clippers). Beal may also ultimately decide there are a few other destinations that would work for him, Gambadoro adds. Given his massive contract and declining production, any club Beal approves would seek significant sweeteners and would probably want him to remove his no-trade clause going forward. Miami has zero interest in him, per multiple reports.
- There has been some chatter about the idea of the Pistons taking on Beal in a trade that sends Butler to the Suns (and Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Miami), given Jaden Ivey‘s leg injury, Detroit’s cap room, and various connections – familial and otherwise – between the Pistons’ and Suns’ front offices. Gambadoro tweets that it doesn’t make much sense to him that the Pistons would want Beal unless they were heavily incentivized to take him, but says he needs to do more digging on that subject.
- Even if Beal were to waive his no-trade clause for Detroit (hardly a lock), I share Gambadoro’s skepticism about the appeal for the Pistons. While it’s true Detroit could use a short-term Ivey replacement, Beal’s maximum-salary contract is worth nearly $111MM across two more seasons beyond this one, and Phoenix probably doesn’t have enough tradable draft assets to sufficiently sweeten the pot for both the Heat and Pistons.
- In a SiriusXM NBA Radio appearance (Streamable audio link), Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel confirms that there are three- and four-team scenarios involving Butler and Beal being explored. Winderman also wonders if the Suns’ decision to remove Beal from their starting lineup is at least in part about nudging him to be more open about waiving his no-trade clause.
Nikola Jokic, Jayson Tatum Named Players Of The Week
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).
The two perennial MVP candidates are the first two repeat Player of the Week winners for the 2024/25 season. Tatum was named the East’s Player of the Week on October 28, while Jokic earned the honor in the West on November 11.
Jokic led the Nuggets to a 3-1 record during the week of Dec. 30-Jan. 5, putting up an incredible triple-double average of 36.5 points, 16.5 rebounds, and 11.3 assists in those four outings. He had back-to-back 40+ point performances against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, including a 41-point, 18-rebound effort in Friday’s loss.
Tatum’s numbers over the course of a 3-1 week for Boston weren’t quite so gaudy. The star forward averaged 25.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals in 34.8 minutes per night, leading the Celtics to victories over Toronto, Minnesota, and Houston before falling on Sunday to Oklahoma City.
Jokic beat out fellow nominees Anthony Davis, LeBron James, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Wembanyama for the Western Conference award, per the NBA (Twitter link). Giannis Antetokounmpo, Cade Cunningham, Joel Embiid, Darius Garland, Tyrese Haliburton, and Coby White were the other nominees in the East.
Kyrie Irving Expected To Miss At Least 1-2 Weeks With Back Injury
Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has been diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back, according to Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who report that the veteran guard is expected to miss at least one-to-two weeks.
There’s optimism that treatment in the coming days will help provide clarity on a return timeline for Irving, sources tell Charania and MacMahon.
While Irving’s injury doesn’t sound serious, it will leave the Mavericks extra short-handed for their next few games. The team is already expected to be without superstar guard Luka Doncic until at least late January due to a left calf strain. With Irving also sidelined, Dallas will be missing a combined 52.4 points per game from its two backcourt stars.
Since Doncic went down in the Christmas Day game, the Mavs are 1-4, having defeated the Suns in Phoenix on December 27 before losing their next four games. Irving missed two of those contests.
The Mavs will be in Memphis on Monday before returning to Dallas for a four-game home stand that features matchups with the Lakers (Tuesday), Trail Blazers (Thursday), and Nuggets (twice, on Jan. 12 and 14). If Irving is out for two weeks, he’ll miss all of those games as well as contests vs. the Pelicans and Thunder before potentially having a chance to return on Jan. 20 in Charlotte.
With guards Doncic, Irving, and Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) all unavailable, the Mavs figure to lean more heavily on Spencer Dinwiddie, Jaden Hardy, and Quentin Grimes. Two-way guard Brandon Williams also played 20 minutes in each of the two games Irving missed in the past week and could reenter the rotation.
Salaries For 10-Day Contracts In 2024/25
Sunday was the first day this season that an NBA team can sign a player to a standard 10-day contract. As we explain in a glossary entry, a 10-day deal allows a club to temporarily add a player to its 15-man roster without any commitments beyond those 10 days.
Under the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, all 10-day contracts are worth a player’s minimum salary. The minimum salary in a given season differs from player to player, based on his years of NBA service entering the season. For instance, in 2024/25, a rookie on a full-season minimum deal will earn $1,157,153, whereas a 10-year veteran who is earning the minimum will make $3,303,771.
[RELATED: NBA Minimum Salaries For 2024/25]
The same is true for 10-day deals. A rookie will earn significantly less over the course of his 10 days with a team than a tenured NBA veteran will.
Because the 2024/25 regular season is 174 days long, a player’s full-season minimum salary can be divided by 174 to calculate his daily salary. From there, it’s just a matter of multiplying by 10 to determine his salary on a 10-day contract.
Using that formula, here’s the full breakdown of what salaries for 10-day deals look like in ’24/25:
| Years in NBA | Salary |
|---|---|
| 0 | $66,503 |
| 1 | $107,027 |
| 2 | $119,972 |
| 3 | $124,288 |
| 4 | $128,603 |
| 5 | $139,391 |
| 6 | $150,179 |
| 7 | $160,967 |
| 8 | $171,756 |
| 9 | $172,611 |
| 10+ | $189,872 |
Because the NBA doesn’t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger options, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of service to 10-day, minimum-salary contracts.
In those instances, teams are on the hook for $119,972, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience, while the NBA covers the difference. So a team would pay the same amount ($119,972) whether they sign a player with three years under his belt or a player with 12 years of NBA experience.
Blake Griffin To Join Amazon As NBA Analyst
Amazon Prime Video has reached a deal to hire former NBA star Blake Griffin as an NBA analyst, reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Amazon isn’t one of the league’s broadcasting partners for the current season, but is one of three companies – along with Disney (ESPN/ABC) and NBC – that are part of the new media rights agreement, which will go into effect for the 2025/26 campaign.
Prime Video is slowly filling out its roster of color commentators, studio analysts, and play-by-play commentators, having also agreed to hire Ian Eagle as its lead play-by-play man and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki as an analyst, as Marchand confirms. Reporting last month indicated that Taylor Rooks will be the lead host of Amazon’s NBA coverage.
Griffin, who announced his retirement as an NBA player last April, doesn’t have any NBA broadcasting experience, but multiple reports in recent months have stated he was among Amazon’s targets.
The former No. 1 overall pick compiled an impressive on-court résumé from 2010-23, including six All-Star berths, and has the sort of engaging personality that makes him a logical choice for broadcast work. He was known for his sense of humor off the court during his playing days, making cameos on multiple sitcoms and trying his hand at stand-up comedy.
According to Marchand, the current expectation is that Griffin and Nowitzki will both be part of Amazon’s studio coverage. The company still needs to add more play-by-play and color commentators and has spoken to Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade about a possible role as a game or studio analyst, Marchand reports.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Ivey, Holland, Beal
Cade Cunningham has accomplished a lot in his brief NBA career, but he’s never had the experience of playing for a winning team, writes Marc J. Spears of Andscape. The Pistons are moving in that direction and can reach the .500 mark with a victory over Portland on Monday. After overcoming a 1-5 start, Detroit is only one game out of the fifth spot in the East and may finally be a legitimate playoff contender.
“We are really trying to get through that breakthrough where now we are trying to be a real competitive team that is winning games more consistently,” Cunningham said. “[Recently], we had our first three-game win streak in years. We’ve been doing better this [season], but we still haven’t been able to put together wins. We’re still working to get that breakthrough.”
Cunningham admits he often blamed himself during a miserable 2023/24 season, which included a franchise record 28-game losing streak. He understood it would take a while to rebuild after being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, but he expected to be farther along by his third year in the NBA. Even with that frustration, Cunningham never hesitated to make a long-term commitment to the franchise, agreeing to a five-year, maximum-salary extension over the summer.
“I was committed the day I got here,” he said. “The losing streak made me commit even more. I was embraced so well by the city. The way they embraced me and my family was huge for me. Being part of Detroit sports and the culture and understanding everything that comes with Detroit, I do really feel like it is really Detroit versus everybody, and I’ve embraced that. I just want to be a part of Detroit winning. I want to have my own chapter in history.”
There’s more on the Pistons:
- The team hasn’t given up hope that Jaden Ivey can return from his broken left fibula before the end of the season, per Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Ivey just underwent surgery on Thursday so no timetable has been set for his recovery process, but Langlois notes that the fibula tends to heal more quickly than other leg bones. “His spirit has been good. He’s been positive about the outcome and how he’s going to use this to become even better, even stronger,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “It’s tough. It’s not going to be an easy road. Just as a human, as a teammate, the things you feel you miss out on. But his guys love him a lot and will help him along the way. Knowing J.I., no one’s going to work harder to get back and be better.”
- Rookie forward Ron Holland is working closely with shooting coach Fred Vinson to improve his jumper, tweets Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Holland is shooting 48.1% from the field, but he’s gone just 14-of-63 (22.2%) from three-point range. “It’s amazing. I’ve never really had a shooting coach before,” Holland said. “… He sees the potential of where I can be as a shooter. Just going day by day with it. I’m really trusting him.”
- The Pistons might be willing to facilitate a Jimmy Butler trade to Phoenix by taking back Bradley Beal from the Suns, suggests Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). His hypothetical deal would have Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. headed to the Heat, with Phoenix possibly sending some of its remaining draft assets to both Detroit and Miami. O’Connor’s trade idea was inspired by a Substack article from Tom Haberstroh, who suggested the Pistons as a third-team facilitator due to their cap room, as well as the various connections between the franchises in Detroit and Phoenix. Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein used to work for the Pistons, while the Suns recently hired Matt Tellem, the son of Pistons vice chairman Arn Tellem.
Kings Notes: DeRozan, Carter, Monk, Fox
Mike Brown‘s firing was surprising and controversial, but the Kings are looking like a different team since Doug Christie took over as head coach, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Playing Sunday without De’Aaron Fox, they won by 30 points at Golden State as the players displayed a renewed enthusiasm for the game.
“I would say it’s that more than anything, just going out there and playing freely with joy and for one another,” DeMar DeRozan responded when asked to explain the change. DeRozan clarified that he didn’t mean to imply there wasn’t freedom and joy with Brown in charge, but the team has responded to the challenge of an in-season coaching shakeup.
“Whenever you’re going through any type of ups and downs, when the downs come, everything just feels extremely bad,” he added. “Everything is just heightened to another level. I think with so much going on, it kind of hit the fan with having a coaching change in the middle of the season. So much was going on that we could just sit there and kind of sob in our sorrows and let things get worse. I think we just pulled together and pulled ourselves out of that more so than anything.”
Sacramento lost its first game after Christie took over, but has since won four in a row against pretty good competition, defeating the Mavericks, Sixers, Grizzlies and Warriors. One difference has been the addition of first-round pick Devin Carter, who posted 13 points and seven rebounds Sunday in his second game since returning from offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The positive energy he and Christie have provided seems to have changed the team’s outlook.
“I think it’s contagious,” Carter said. “Once one person sees somebody else doing it, then the next person, the next person, and it just trickles down the line, so I just think it’s contagious. Obviously, we want to keep on winning. Wins are contagious. Good vibes in the locker room, good vibes in practice, and just go from there.”
There’s more on the Kings:
- Malik Monk took on a larger role Sunday with Fox sidelined, finishing with 26 points, 12 assists and four steals, Anderson adds. Christie said during his time as an assistant, he often encouraged Monk to be more fearless in his approach to the game. “Before I was sitting in this seat, we’ve had multiple conversations just about everything, and I’ve always told him, ‘Believe in yourself. I believe in you. You are a tremendous, fantastic player, and play through your mistakes.’” Christie said. “… He is just about as free as I’ve ever seen him. We’ll live with some of the things he does and his greatness will continue to shine because the kid is great.”
- Carter had a memorable NBA debut, with his father, former NBA player Anthony Carter, on the opponent’s bench as a Grizzlies assistant coach, Anderson states in a separate story. “It’s just a blessing, especially to play my first NBA game in front of him,” Devin Carter told reporters before the game. “It’s something you dream of as a kid, and the moment is here, so I’m not going to shy away from the moment.”
- The Kings haven’t determined if Fox will be available for Monday’s game against Miami, Anderson notes in another piece. He was ruled out Sunday with a right glute contusion after being undercut on a dunk attempt late in Friday’s contest.
Southeast Notes: F. Wagner, Anthony, Kuzma, Walker
Injured Magic star Franz Wagner offered an encouraging update on his torn oblique, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner, who has now been sidelined for a full month, is set to be reevaluated when the team returns home after tonight’s trip to New York.
“I think I’ve progressed really well,” he told reporters after Sunday’s game. “Now, I’m continuing to rehab it [and] make sure that we don’t make any jumps too soon because you don’t want to re-injure it, obviously. It’s a weird spot. But I feel pretty good.”
Wagner became the focus of the offense following an injury to Paolo Banchero, and he helped the Magic remain near the top of the Eastern Conference. Orlando has gone just 5-7 since he was sidelined, as numerous injuries have left the team short-handed. Wagner has never missed this much time in his NBA career and admitted it’s difficult knowing that his return could still be a long way off.
“After the first couple of days, I felt totally normal,” he said. “Normally, when you have an injury and you’re out, it’s [a] foot or knee or something, and you have trouble walking or stuff like that. There was nothing like that. It’s just mentally a little weird that nothing really hurts but obviously, you can’t really go yet.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Cole Anthony has been in and out of the rotation this season, but the Magic may need to rely on him while Jalen Suggs is sidelined with a lower back strain, Beede adds in a separate story. It’s been a disappointing year for Anthony, but he played 34 minutes and tied a career high with 11 assists after Suggs had to leave Friday’s game at Toronto. “He’s a force on the offensive end,” Cory Joseph said. “A lot of times he draws two people to him and he was just making the right plays over and over again. Guys were getting open, good looks. He was just making the right plays and was amazing to watch.”
- Kyle Kuzma, who’s considered one of the Wizards‘ top trade candidates, had a season-high 28 points in Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Kuzma credits his recent scoring burst to an increased off-ball role in the team’s offense and improved health after dealing with a groin strain. “I’ve been over that hurdle now, and I feel really comfortable and very confident in my body and my movements,” he said. “I think you’ve been seeing that over the past couple games being back.”
- Hornets legend Kemba Walker talks to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer about why he decided to join Charles Lee’s coaching staff after ending his playing career in July.
Heat Expect Jimmy Butler To Play If He Isn’t Traded
The Heat expect Jimmy Butler to resume playing after his seven-game suspension is over if he hasn’t been traded by then, a source close to the situation tells Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Management isn’t willing to let Butler stay away from the team and collect the remainder of his $48.8MM salary, Chiang adds.
Chiang’s source also says Miami has engaged in trade talks about Butler with numerous teams over the past several days, but hasn’t received an offer worth pursuing. He confirms that the Suns are among those expressing interest, but the Heat have no interest in taking on Bradley Beal because of the no-trade clause in his contract. That means a third team would have to be willing to absorb Beal’s $50.2MM salary and he would have to OK the deal.
Even though he’s suspended, Butler is able to work out at the team’s Kaseya Center facilities while the Heat are on a six-game road trip, Chiang adds. He’ll be eligible to return to the court for a January 17 home game against Denver.
Efforts to find a taker for Butler have been complicated by Miami’s desire to take back the lowest possible amount of guaranteed salary beyond this season, Marc Stein states in his latest Substack column (subscription required). That has led to pessimism about finding a deal quickly, especially with the Warriors reportedly no longer interested.
Stein also points out that missing the playoffs would be “legitimately disastrous” for the Heat, which may explain the motivation to keep playing Butler if no trade materializes. If Miami doesn’t reach the postseason, its 2026 first-round pick would be sent to Oklahoma City without any protections.
That pick was originally shipped to the Clippers in the four-team sign-and-trade deal that brought Butler to the Heat in 2019, Stein explains, and the Thunder acquired it in 2022. If the Heat reach the playoffs this season, OKC will get Miami’s 2025 first-rounder, which would fall outside the top 14. If the Heat are in the lottery, the unprotected first-rounder would convey in 2026.
Stein also points out that Miami owes a first-round pick to Charlotte from last season’s trade for Terry Rozier. Because of the Stepien rule that prevents teams from trading their first-rounders in back-to-back years, if the Oklahoma City pick conveys in 2026, the pick to the Hornets will be tied up until 2028, reducing the Heat’s flexibility moving forward.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also offers an update on Butler trade talks (video link), saying the Heat “don’t like their hand at all right now.” Sources tell Windhorst that Pat Riley‘s declaration last month that the team wasn’t interested in trading Butler came after several offers were received that were unsatisfactory. Windhorst adds that rival clubs seem to be testing Miami to see how low it is willing to sell Butler.
He notes that the only exception has been the Suns, whom he cites as the “best fit and most aggressive team” in the Butler pursuit. However, the Heat’s lack of interest in Beal is a major roadblock, and it’s very difficult to put together a three- or four-team deal under current CBA restrictions.
Windhorst still expects Butler to be traded somewhere before the deadline, but he states that Miami is operating from a position of weakness.